Improved sluice-gate



-act description thereof', reference being had to the enters an aperture, l), in the bulk-head.

,Q 'e i gti/.1n time o AMM,

@strati (time.

Letters Patent No. 85,048,

[lated December l5, 1868.

IMPRQVED sLUIcE-GATE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and part of the same.

To whom it may concern,-

Be it known that I, JOHN S. WILSON, of Harveysburg, 'in the county of Warren, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Acting Sluice-Gates for Mill-Races, and do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exaccompanying drawings, making part of this specii-` cation.

The first part of my invention relates to certain devices whereby the ilow of waterthrough a mill-race' may be automatically shut 01T, whenever the stream from which .the race receives its supply becomes unusually high. f

The second part of my invention consists in devices for automatically opening suitable ood-gates, so as to drain the mill-race, and thereby prevent its embankments being bnrs'ted by the excessive pressure ofwater within them. l Y

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a perspective view of a head-gate provided with m'y improvements;

Figure 2 is a perspective view, showing my improvements as applied to a dood-gate, and

Figure 3 is a ground-plan, showing the location of the head and flood-gates iu the mill-race.

Arepreseuts a mill-race, which receives its supply of water from the stream B, and this race has placed across it, near its upper end, a stout bulk-head, C, to which are attached the automatic devices for shutting on' the supply of water to said race.

The bulk-head C is pierced at c, for the reception of the head-gate D, which is attached to a vertical shaft, E, having an arm, e.

vThe head-gate is attached to the shaft in such a manner that its longest side, (l, may be presented to the water in the forebay F, while its shortest side, d, opens into the mill-race A.

The arm eimpinges against a rod, G, which depends froma lever, H, and the lower and free end of this rod The lever H is` fulcrnmed at yi to a standard, I, and the loaded end, H', of said lever is supported upon a shoulder or ledge, j, of post J.

Pivoted tothe post J is a lever, K, having a cam, It, at one of its ends, and the other end ofthe lever is united to an arm, L, by a rod, Z. l

The arm L is secured to a shaft, m, which is placed athwart the fiume N, and this shaft has attached to it the regulating-valve or gate M, which is placed in the flume in such a manner that it will opera-te whenever the water becomes dangerously high.

The fiume is also provided with a stop-valsf'c, 0, which valve is connected to the lever H by a chain, c.

The Hood-gate, shown in 2, is'l'novidedwith the devices C, H H', I, i, J, j, K, L', L, l, M, m, and N, the same as exhibited in iig. 1,1mt thc flood-gate P is fitted in the bulli-head in a reverse manner to what the head-gate is; or, in other words, the short side, p,

of said gate P opens into the mill-race, and the long side, 7)', opens -into the waste-way Q.

This flood-gate is provided with a hasp, R, which engages over a staple, vi', that is driven into the bulkhead, and said gate is prevented from opening, when the water in the race is at its usual stage, by means ofthe bolt S, whose lower end is inserted in the staple fr.

' The upper end of this bolt is slotted at s, for the reception of one end ofthe lever H,.which 'lever is similar, in construction and operation, to the one exhibited in fig. 1. Y

The flood-gate P has a shaft, T, and an arm, t, which permit of said gate being opened by hand, when neces- 'lhe flume N is placed in the bulk-head, at such an elevation as to be above any ordinary stage of water,

butv when the stream B becomes unusually high, the water commences to How through said ume, thereby causing the 'regulating-valve M to turn with the current, by which means the arm L, rod l, and lever K, are simultaneously raised. The elevation of the lever K causes .its2 cam k to force the lever H H from oii` of the shoulder j, andthe 'loaded end, H', of said lever instantly drops, thereby raising the other end, H, and withdrawing the rod G from the aperture l), and, as the support has thus been removed from the arm e, the current of water'at once closes the head-gate D, so as to cut off communication between the'forebay and mill-race.

As the stop-valve O is maintained in its elevated position by being connected to the loaded end H' of the lever, said valve closes as soon as the lever falls,y

and thereby prevents water from passing through the flume into the race; and it will be seen that the greater the pressure of water upon the, stop-valve, the more securely it will be held in its closed condition.

The Hood-gate P is employed for the purpose of draining the mill-race whenever the water in it becomes so high as to endanger the einbankments, and this gate' and branch c becomes unusually high, and begins to tow through the Hume N, the regulating-valve M, levers K and H H operate in the same manneras described for the head-gate D, and as soon as the end, H, of the lever H H is elevated, it draws the bolt S out of the staple r, and the pressure of water in the brano-l1 a'l immediately opens the flood-gate P, and the contents of the mill-race are discharged into the waste-Way Q.

The Hood-gate opens readily, beca1ise its long side, p', is presented towards the \vaste -way, andas soon as the bolt S is withdrawn, the gate swings around towards said. waste-way, by the action -ot the eurrent'of Water.

A 'milLraGe may he providedA with both head and flood-gates, or with either, as may be found necessary, but in ease the mill should he situated some considerable distance from' the stream, it will be advisable to use both of the gates.

Insituaiions where the mill receives its supply of Water from a @anal or other stream which-is not liable to become unusually high, the head-gate may be dispensed with, and the flood-gate employed alone.

l olaini herein as new, and of my invention- 1. The head-gate D (l elf, shaft E, arrne, bolt G, levers H H and K It, supporting-shoulder 7', connecting-rod Z, arm L, and regulating-valve M m, all -eoinbined and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination of the stop-valve O o with the gravitating-lever H H and tripping-apparatusj, K, l, L, M, for the object stated.

l 3. The combination of the flood-gate P, releasing devices R, S, H, tripping-devices K 7.1, j, rod Z, arm L, and valve M m, -all arranged to operate in the manner and for the purposes explained.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. K NiGH'r, JAMES H. LAYMAN.

JOHN s. WILSON 

